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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24226552">Pretend There's Only One</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/celeste9/pseuds/celeste9'>celeste9</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Suikoden, Suikoden III</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>First Time, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Sharing a Bed, Teasing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 18:15:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,597</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24226552</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/celeste9/pseuds/celeste9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Just because the room in the inn had two beds, it didn't mean they had to use both of them.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Percival Fraulein/Borus Redrum</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Pretend There's Only One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Well, that’s lucky,” Percival said, in a tone that suggested he didn’t think so at all. “Two beds.”</p>
<p>“Why wouldn’t there be two beds?” Borus eyed the other knight. “Percival? Why wouldn’t there be two?”</p>
<p>Percival shrugged. “You never know with these innkeepers. Sometimes they aren’t listening at all.”</p>
<p>Eyes still narrowed, Borus eventually shrugged and set to the labor of removing his armor. Percival was a strange one, for certain, and it was no use trying to decipher him.</p>
<p>Once they were both dressed more comfortably in breeches and shirts – Percival’s with rather too many open buttons, honestly – and had splashed their faces with water to cleanse the dust from the road, they left the room to have dinner and ale in the tavern below. Borus’ preference would have been for a quiet meal but Percival had an aversion to quiet and chattered away as they ate.</p>
<p>He appeared to be in a people-watching mood tonight, commenting on the other patrons and making up fanciful stories as newcomers walked in. Borus found himself having to stifle a snort, disguising it as a cough, and he pretended not to notice the smug tilt of Percival’s lips.</p>
<p>One ale became two, and then three, because why not? It tasted watered down enough that they weren’t likely to get drunk off it, but it was still enough to take the edge off the long day of travel. Percival’s company wasn’t entirely awful, if Borus was being honest, not that he would ever tell Percival so. The man was conceited enough as it was.</p>
<p>The point was, it wasn’t the worst evening Borus had ever spent, and was perhaps nicer than many. They were likely to be on the road for a few more days and this was probably the last inn they’d see in that time, so might as well make the most of it. If the tavern lighting made Percival’s tan skin seem to glow, well, Borus attributed that idle thought to the ale. Just because he wasn’t drunk didn’t mean he wasn’t at all affected.</p>
<p>Percival leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms up, settling forward again with a small thud as the legs hit the floor. He rested one palm over Borus’ knuckles. “Might be time to turn in before you slide out of your seat.”</p>
<p>Borus scowled and waved the serving girl over so they could pay for the ales. “I’m perfectly able to determine my limits myself, thank you.” He rolled his eyes at the blush in the girl’s cheeks when Percival smiled at her and touched her wrist as he handed over a few coins. Everyone always thought he was so charming, women especially, but Borus knew it was because they didn’t have to spend more than a few moments in his company.</p>
<p>As they walked up the stairs to return to their room, Percival, just behind Borus, kept his hand pressed to the small of Borus’ back. That was… odd, and perhaps disturbing, and not actually unpleasant. Borus considered making a fuss and then decided he was too weary. If Percival wanted to play the part of minder, well, Borus couldn’t be bothered to stop him just now.</p>
<p>He pulled away as they got inside, lighting the candles and preparing for bed. He took the bed closer to the window, though it was too chilly to leave it propped open during the night. He just thought the spot by the window was always the better one, and so he should have it. Percival seemed to realize that’s what he was doing but made no objection. Indeed, he looked a little fond.</p>
<p>Maybe Borus had had too much ale, after all. He sat on the edge of his bed and Percival did the same on the other side of the small room.</p>
<p>Percival bounced a few times on the mattress, resulting in an alarming squeak. “I can feel the springs poking me in the ass already. Is yours like this?”</p>
<p>Borus refrained from testing it. The bed sagged enough already, no need to exacerbate the problem. “I’d be surprised if you haven’t had worse.” Honestly, they’d slept on the ground last week and Percival hadn’t made a peep. Though it would be rude to say so aloud, Borus assumed Percival had spent the entirety of his childhood sleeping on worse.</p>
<p>His smile sly, Percival said, “What? The mattress, or something poking me in the ass?”</p>
<p>Flushing hot enough that he was sure Percival could see it, Borus avoided looking Percival in the face and pretended to be busy arranging his pillow into a more pleasing form. The thing was flat as a board; there wasn’t much hope. Instead he mumbled, “We should get an early start, so I’ll say goodnight.” He blew the candle out and wriggled beneath the thin blanket so as to prevent any attempt at protest.</p>
<p>After a moment, Percival said, “Goodnight, Borus,” distinctly amused, and then blew out his own candle.</p>
<p>Borus rolled onto his side away from Percival. The bed creaked.</p>
<p>Percival snickered. “How’s your ass?”</p>
<p>“None of your concern.” Borus squeezed his eyes shut tight. Goddess. He ignored the increased volume of Percival’s laugh.</p>
<p>Clearly doing it for effect, Percival’s bed groaned and whined as he moved around on it. “This is quite unacceptable. How am I to be expected to sleep on this?”</p>
<p>“If I can make do, you certainly can.”</p>
<p>“But Borus, I’ve gotten so spoiled in the castle.”</p>
<p>“Then I suppose you’ll just have to suffer through it, but please do it in silence so I can sleep.”</p>
<p>And, for a moment, there was blessed silence. Borus assumed he had won, which he should have known was his mistake.</p>
<p>The other bed gave a riotous squeak as though it might collapse on its hinges and then Borus was knocked to the middle of his mattress as it sagged with the weight of another. It croaked even louder than Percival’s. “Percival!” Borus exclaimed. “What in hell do you think you’re doing?”</p>
<p>Percival took his advantage as Borus rolled, jostled by the disturbance, and straddled Borus’ hips, grinning into his face. “Thought I’d see whether yours was any better.” He leaned in closer, his breath warm on Borus’ face. “And check on your ass while I was at it. I’m concerned.”</p>
<p>“About… about my ass?” Borus swallowed and wished he got less tongue-tied when he was startled. He could see but the dim outline of Percival’s face, his dark hair falling forward. He wondered if he heaved Percival off, would it break the whole damn bed? It might be worth it to see the expression on Percival’s face.</p>
<p>Except Borus wasn’t entirely certain he wanted to throw Percival off, which was highly concerning. He was glad that with the lack of light, there was no way for the flush in his cheeks to be visible.</p>
<p>Percival likely expected Borus to try to throw him off. He probably expected Borus to get irritated and lose his temper and buck him off, and then he’d laugh and tease, and you know, maybe Borus wanted to have the upper hand for once, to do the unexpected. It hadn’t anything to do with how pleasantly warm and heavy Percival’s body felt, anchoring Borus down, or the soft fall of his hair against Borus’ cheek, or the way he found himself wishing a candle was lit so he could appreciate all those open buttons.</p>
<p>So Borus slithered a little lower, pressed his hips up, heard Percival’s breath hitch. He imagined the widening of Percival’s eyes, the flutter of his eyelashes. “You didn’t ask for two beds, did you?” he said, voice low.</p>
<p>“I… what?”</p>
<p>“The beds. You asked for a room, didn’t specify.”</p>
<p>“Really, Borus,” Percival said, something warm and thick in his voice that Borus couldn’t quite put a name to. “Would I do a thing like that?”</p>
<p>“Well, you seem to have finagled your way into us sharing anyway.”</p>
<p>“I’m beginning to think you don’t mind.” Percival rolled his hips and now it was Borus’ breath that caught.</p>
<p>He realized what it was in Percival’s voice. It was almost the way he spoke to women when he was being charming, except… except it felt more like he cared about the outcome. Like he <em>wanted </em>the outcome to be favorable.</p>
<p>Like he wanted.</p>
<p>So maybe, Borus realized, he did have the upper hand here. Because he knew that Percival wanted, but he wasn’t sure Percival knew that Borus wanted, too. Or at least, he wasn’t certain.</p>
<p>Borus reached up to grasp Percival’s hips. He let his fingertips slide up beneath the edge of Percival’s shirt, feeling bare skin, and knew he wasn’t imagining the way Percival trembled. Pulling Percival down so the long length of his body was flush with Borus, he rubbed himself against Percival in one sensuous, slow movement and relished the way Percival gasped.</p>
<p>The bed creaked, and it might actually collapse. Somehow Borus couldn’t bring himself to care about that. He slid one hand up Percival’s spine to his neck, threading into Percival’s hair. He tugged. Percival murmured something unintelligible. Borus licked his lower lip and smiled; there was something beyond gratifying about having brought Percival to a state like this, to having finally discovered what could make him lose his words.</p>
<p>Just before letting their lips meet, as they breathed into each other’s mouths in a state of suspended wanting, Borus whispered, “Still concerned about my ass, Percival?”</p>
<p>He had never liked the sound of Percival’s laugh better than at that moment.</p>
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    <em>End</em>
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